Archaeology 1-800 Leveling and Collecting Strategies

考古学 is a secondary profession available to any player characters of level 20 and above, as long as the associated account has been upgraded to the Cataclysm expansion. Players travel the world to collect archaeology fragments and combine them into completed artifacts. The profession provides insight into the ancient cultures and lifeforms of Azeroth, as well as give the player many interesting lore-based items that they can use in-game.

How it works

Locating digsites

TIP: If you don't see the digsites on the zone-level maps,make sure "Show Digsites" is checked!Players will travel to one of four "digsites" that are always available on each continent (Eastern Kingdoms, Kalimdor, Outland, Northrend). These digsites are marked on the world map for those continents with a small shovel indicator. When zoomed in and looking on the zone maps, the digsite areas are shown as colored areas. Each digsite offers the player a chance to unearth exactly six artifact containers which can be looted to provide 5-9 fragments (6-10 for Dwarves due to 探索者). Once all six containers have been located, that digsite is exhausted and a new one will appear elsewhere on that same continent.

Surveying

After your character has arrived at the digsite, activate their 勘测 ability and take note of the surveying scope that appears. The colored light on top will give an estimate of the distance to the artifact container - green (less than 30 yards), yellow (30-70 yards), and red (over 70 yards). The scope will point in the general direction of the container, but is very inaccurate at "red" distances - up to 90 degrees one direction or the other - but becomes very accurate for "green" lights. Usually you'll start your survey with a "red" indicator, and want to move in large jumps across the digsite until you find a "yellow" light, then move in smaller increments until the artifact container appears.

Artifact containers spawn in specific locations within the digsite, though there may be dozens of potential places. Addons such as Archy can track the spots you find, and can help speed up surveying at that same digsite in later visits. You can also enable "Track Digsites" on the minimap to assist you.

Each time a Archaeology Find container is looted, the player will also receive a decent amount of experience which increases in pace along with their current level, much like happens with Herbalism and Mining. This experience is increased based on the player's "rest" level" and any heirloom items that grant experience gain.

Completing artifacts

INFO: The maximum number of fragments youcan hold for each race is 200.The main Archaeology skill window will display two numbers for each race you've encountered (ex. "Fossil 24/35"): the first number is how many fragments you currently have for that race and the second number is how many fragments are needed to complete the current project. Clicking on the icon for a race takes you to the current project's solve page. Below the progress bar, for some races and projects, there are spaces for "keystones" which can be used to substitute for 12 fragments towards completion of the project for that race. Clicking the empty space will add or remove a keystone, if you have one in your inventory.

Completed projects produce two types of items: common projects create poor quality items which can be sold to vendors; and rare projects create special pets, mounts, account-bound armor and weapons, and others with unique abilities. Each rare item has a minimum Archaeology skill level that is required before it can possibly come up randomly as your next project.

Leveling up (1-525)

Skilling up Archaeology efficiently involves some planning and prioritization - making good choices while leveling can significantly speed up your skill gains and save considerable time collecting rare artifacts. The way you make these decisions depends on your goals. This guide offers general tips for anyone skilling up archaeology, as well as tips for the ''power-leveler'' (someone trying to hit max skill level as fast as possible) and the ''completionist'' (someone who is ultimately going for all of the artifacts and related achievements).

General tips

Each time you complete a dig and loot artifact fragments (found using 勘测), you will gain +1 Archaeology skill.

You'll gain +5 skill points for solving a common project, and +15 points for solving a rare one.

Make sure to visit an Archaeology trainer when you get close to your current maximum so these points aren't wasted by hitting a skill cap.

Collecting fragments from digsites currently gives a very large amount of experience points. The amount is scaled based on your current level and is also affected by rested experience, guild perks, and heirloom item bonuses. It is an excellent leveling option for characters that are below maximum level - if you know your character is going to be an Archaeologist, start early!

Power-leveling

This section will provide the strategy for most quickly reaching high skill level, but greatly sacrifices your chances of collecting rares. If there are any specific rewards that you want to discover, save all fragments and matching keystones until you've reached the appropriate minimum skill level it becomes available.

The choice of where to start largely depends on your eventual desired reward. If Dwarf or Troll, begin in Eastern Kingdoms. If Night Elf or Fossil, start in Kalimdor.

Collect fragments and avoid solving any projects until you reach the cap of 200 fragments per race (and then, only solve to free up space). It might feel slow at first, but you will quickly catch up later and you might find some extra rare rewards. Once you get to skill level 150, go ahead and solve what you have on-hand, and if you have access to keystones, use them to speed your progression to skill 300.

Outland is much smaller and easier to travel around than EK/Kalimdor, and so is good option if you don't have access to keystones or if you have no interest in specific race rewards and just want fast leveling to 525. If your desired rare is Orc or Draenai, remain in Outland until you complete it.

Northrend becomes available and is a good option if you're after a Night Elf or Troll reward. If your desired reward is Dwarf, return to work in Eastern Kingdoms. If your desired rare is Vrykul or Nerubian, remain in Northrend until you complete it.

All possible rewards are now available as project options. If you have been collecting fragments for a specific race's reward, solve projects for it now. If you don't get it, continue working in the area most likely to provide digsites for that race.

Eastern Kingdoms for Dwarf and Troll

Kalimdor for Tol'vir, Night Elf, and Fossil

Outland for Orc and Draenai

Northrend for Vrykul and Nerubian

If you found the specific item you wanted before reaching level 525, finish working in the area fastest for you based on what keystones you have. If none, than return to Outland or Northrend.

Completionist/Collector leveling

This guide will focus on the strategy for both leveling and completing all rares and achievements as quickly and efficiently as possible. Because of the random nature of Archaeology projects, you may need to adjust based on your personal luck.

For the collector, progress in this phase may seem slow, but the intent is to gather as many fragments as possible so that you can use them later when all rare rewards become available. Save all keystones for later use, even if you are forced to solve projects due to the fragment limit. The ideal goal is to get to skill level 300 with as many Dwarf, Night Elf, Fossil, and Troll fragments stored as you can, up to 200 each.

Begin working in Eastern Kingdoms to Survey and collect fragments, prioritizing Dwarven dig sites if they come up, but working as efficiently as necessary when traveling the continent.

At level 300, Outland sites become available. It is highly efficient at this point to move work to Outland - leveling until you complete all Draenai (two rares, eight commons) and Orc (one rare, nine commons) projects. Use keystones as you find them to speed this process.

When finished in Outland, return to Eastern Kingdoms and continue prioritizing Dwarven dig sites if they come up.

You may now freely solve any and all stored fragments and keystones - all possible pre-Pandaria rewards are available. The task now is to work efficiently to finish your collection. The suggested order is:

Dwarf - Continue solving projects in Eastern Kingdoms until your final rare Dwarf project appears, then stop and move to Kalimdor. There is one single Dwarven dig site (Bael Modan), and during the course of working on Tol'vir projects, you will easily finish that rare.

Tol'vir and Fossil - Since Tol'vir are exclusive to Kalimdor and Fossils aren't found in Northrend, prioritize those digsites as soon as they appear for you while working on that continent.

Nerubian and Vrykul - These are native to Northrend, so again, prioritize those digsites as soon as they appear for you while working on that continent.

Night Elf and Troll - Until you've collected all other rares from other races, there is no need to focus on these two races because they are very common throughout Eastern Kingdoms, Kalimdor, and Northrend.

Once you're at skill level 525 and down to the last couple rares you're trying to collect, it might be smart to move along to Pandaria and then to Draenor, where you will be accumulating 修复的遗物 items. These can be traded for fragment crates which can help you continue to produce artifacts without needing to Survey.

Mists of Pandaria (525-600)

Occasionally, when Surveying, an 上古游魂 will spawn which matches your level and drops additional Mogu fragments.

Common artifacts can be coverted into 修复的遗物 and traded to 布莱恩·铜须 once you reach skill level 600 for items that assist you in Pandaria like 游学者的磁石, 游学者的地图, and 螳螂妖遗物声波定位仪. You can also purchase crates of archaeology fragments from pre-Pandarian races. The crates grant about 5-9 fragments (the equivalent of one Survey) and have a low chance to also contain matching keystones.

Power-levelers: It is quite easy to quickly reach 600 skill on the small continent. Collect fragments up to the 200 limit before solving any, then solve one at a time just enough to keep near that limit. This will keep your digsites appearing very close together in the Jade Forest until your skill level gets higher. Once you start getting Mogu or Mantid digsites, feel free to use up all your fragments.

Completionists: Focus preferably on Pandaren and Mogu digsites. Once you've completed all (or nearly all) Pandaren/Mogu projects you need, then you can focus on Mantid exclusively and efficiently using the 螳螂妖遗物声波定位仪 found in the 螳螂妖神器猎人的装备箱. You might also consider moving work to Draenor immediately at level 600. Save all 修复的遗物 until you reach skill level 700 in Draenor (see section below), because they can be traded for Pandaria race fragments.

Warlords of Draenor (600-700)

Draenor digsites will allow you to do 8 surveys each before becoming exhausted (this is compared to 6 for Pandaria and earlier), probably to offset the lack of flying on the continent. Additionally, ghostly mobs can spawn that, when killed, drop matching fragments for that digsite. When working Draenor digsites, you will quickly encounter a 发脆的绘图日志 which will extend your maximum skill level to 700.

Completed common artifacts can be converted to 修复的遗物 and traded in the Ashran faction towns for crates from earlier continents (格拉吉斯 for Alliance, 瑟卡 for Horde). At level 700, you can trade them for Pandaria fragment crates, so for completionists it makes sense to move to Draenor at 600 skill, finish all the projects/achievements there. Saving all 修复的遗物 until you reach level 700, you can then use them for Pandaria or earlier crates.

If you have a level 2 or 3 Mine in your Garrison, with a follower assigned, you can loot a very small number of archaeology fragments inside the mining carts.

Leveling from scratch on Draenor

Archaeology on Draenor has been made much more straightforward than prior explansions. Players can perform all Arakkoa, Ogre, and Draenor Clans tasks starting at any skill level. Digsites will initially be available in your starting zone, and then in other zones as your character level advances.

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评论

评论来自 Sas148

I think you've done a great job with this guide. I don't personally have anything to suggest at this time. Thanks for creating it.

评论来自 darthwarcraft

Great Guide! How many hours will it take to max from 1 to 525?

评论来自 Dolemite

Great Guide! One suggestion would be to list out all artifacts per race, broken down into commons, rares and epics.

评论来自 Philander

Excellent guide, just one addition: Nerubian artefacts can, in fact, be found outside Northrend (at least one digsite in the Plaguewood area of Eastern Plaguelands, possibly more).

Keep up the good work, and thanks for sharing what you know.

评论来自 zuljintoon

Don't forget the Darkmoon Faire! Just 15 Fossil Fragments to level 5 points. This is an excellent opportunity to level up other professions by 5 skill points. Especially if there is an expensive hump to get over. Your profession level must be at 75 to pick up the given quest.Things to bring:

Alchemy: 5 Moonberry Juice

Archaelogy: 15 Fossil Fragments

Cooking: 5 Flour

Inscription: 5 Parchment

Leatherworking: 5 Coarse Thread, 10 Shiny Baubles, 5 Blue Dye

Tailoring: Coarse Thread, Red Dye, Blue Dye

Also note:

All other mats are either supplied or around the faire.

The above items are mostly available near the DM Portal.

Enchanting - just click on the junk, don't try to DE it normally.

Blacksmithing - there's an anvil behind the Heirloom Prize Vendors.

Be sure to visit your trainer to have room for those 5 skill points. : }

If you forgot something, your Engineer can always drop a mailbox near you. Pretty tough to mail the fossil frags though. ; )

评论来自 Ghazpharro

Don't know if it is a hotfix or a bug, but as of Oct 20, 2012 Archeology skill ups are being awarded for every dig. No mention was made in patch notes about this kind of change.

评论来自 sabrestryke

Awesome guide!

评论来自 pac123

good work

评论来自 Tertiam

In the crates of archaeology fragments that you can buy from 布莱恩·铜须, you actually can get keystones. I have gotten 托维尔符文 from 一箱托维尔考古碎片.

评论来自 MarsJenkar

While for power-leveling "Don't solve any artifacts until skill level 150" seems the most effective on paper, the problem is that you'll run out of room for new artifact fragments well before that. (Thanks, Mists of Pandaria.) And yes, that does assume that you spread the love between the four sets of artifact sites possible at that skill level. I speak from experience here.

A better way of putting it would be "Up to skill level 150, solve artifacts only as needed to make room for new artifact fragments".

评论来自 DrakkonDarkspell

Interesting information, but I have a question: Why wait so long before starting the solves? Is there some advantage to waiting you didn't discuss? I don't understand why you say to wait so long. Thanx if you can explain the logic.

评论来自 zuljintoon

Bad Archeology Changes

• #1 Blizz has added 1 second to the CD of survey (giving the ‘that item is not ready yet’ warning) costing us more time when trying to quickly narrow down a red survey. Why a survey should have more than a 1 second CD is certainly a mystery anyway – are we getting a more powerful cast / lol.• #2 they made the distance of a green survey longer. Now you can NOT be basically guaranteed a discovery when surveying at 5 ‘paces’ or ‘yards’ after getting a green.• #3 an orange survey is now less accurate, it no longer yields a straight path to a discovery.• #4 you need to be closer to get an actual discovery to show now. I’m not positive about this, but the distance here seems to have been narrowed slightly – again causing more surveys.

These may seem like petty changes, but when all combined they are adding significant unnecessary time to this profession. (BTW, this seems to have occurred circa 5.0.5.)

Although I can only conjecture, perhaps this has been done to ease time pressure on crowded cross realm servers by keeping people out of congested areas.

I’d highly recommend pulling a ticket and pointing out that your game is no longer working as it had been and should be working. We are paying for playing time, not waiting time.

<Blizzard, why are you making an already barely credible "profession" more difficult?> --> "Time is money, friend."

评论来自 Vis4ge

Tks a lot by this guide. very organized! good job mate :P

评论来自 Knightofnoskill

What do we do if we max out the artifacts for a certain race

评论来自 Odshealer

Just a heads up, the power leveling section of the guide is no longer applicable for the first 150 points if you're trying to just save.

There was a change (don't know when) where we're capped at gathering 200 of the artifact. I hit about 60 in Archaeology and I had to start solving for both Dwarf and Fossil.

Overall, a great guide.

Appreciate you editing in the information in the power leveling section.

评论来自 Shadowewolfe

I just reached 450 Archaeology, how do start to dig/collect from Tol'vir? Do I need to complete a race collection first?

评论来自 dehcantao

I just reached 600 but am still missing lots of itens.

Now i wonder if it´s better to go to pandaria, and use common itens to trade for old fragments or keep following the collector leveling guide.

评论来自 alvexman

Great guide I'm using it now to level my Arch

评论来自 billymm

nice guide, thankyou ;)

评论来自 breebee

Once you're down to the last rares/achievements you're trying to collect, it might be smart to move along to Draenor, where you will be accumulating Restored Artifact items. These can be traded for fragment crates which can help you continue to produce artifacts without needing to Survey.

Do you mean move to Pandaria? Or was this changed for the new upcoming expansion, Warlords of Draenor? I just want to make sure I'm in the right place while trying to level and complete everything! Thank you! Great guide!

评论来自 ir0nmike

For the people who are completionists, like me, I've made a google docs document, which you can use to "tick off" the artifacts you have found already. You just have to convert it to your own google docs or excel document.

评论来自 yarinasher1

评论来自 pat33

The greatest hotfix of all they did in 6.2.2 is to give flight back to cut time to dig for artifacts.

I also suggest a Drud to get all your achievements because of the instant incantation in bird form.

评论来自 windinface

is there a cap on the amount of digsites on the continents? My Monk is in the eastern continent, but can't find any more digsites there. I have ready done quite a bit of digging in the Eastern Continent

评论来自 Xoros

@Karadine

Thank you for the guide.

An important point for 90+ characters that I didn't see specifically mentioned:

If you are just starting out / resuming low-level Archaeology, (i.e. 40/75 Arch skill), instead of going back to trainer every 75 skill points to learn next tier (and potentially waste skill-ups if you forget you're capped), simply Survey a site or 2 in Draenor, you'll get the Brittle Cartography Journal and *poof* your Arch skill cap is 700.

No need to return to an Archaeology trainer as you level.

(An added bonus: you save Arch skill trainer costs for all the tiers you skipped.)

评论来自 Luongo

Question... if I only want to get rares from the dig sites, do I need a high skill to obtain certain things, or are they all obtainable even with a skill of 1?

评论来自 DrummerKane

Hotkeying the survey button can shave, what turns out to be, quite a bit of time.